The Revelation to John

[Jae]

Jesus had given the early Church prophecy, by which missionaries were able to predict future events.

The prophecy of the Bible's book belongs to that form of predicting the future which is known as apocalypsis. In which the future is shown to the seer in visions. Thus we have here a history of the Church's fortunes from the first century to time's end.

John was shown how the Church would win conflicts. The book's author received the revelation from Jesus and embodied it in this book. He was then an exile on Patmos in the Aegean Sea, off Asia Minor, having been banished there for his faith.

It was on a Sunday that John was given these visions, his mind, through God's effect, being in a detached state, making it possible for him to visit places in spirit while his body was on Patmos.

The exile of John occurred during the time Domitian was Emperor of Rome, and Revelation was written to Asia Minor's seven churches, in the first centuries' 90's.

It serves for consolation to God's children in the trials which are the missionaries' lot until time's end. The prophecy of the triumph of God's kingdom, the promise of Christ's coming, heaven's pictures, have cheered millions of missionaries.

A brief outline... After the introduction we may distinguish seven visions. The first shows us Christ as his Church's Ruler. In the second he is the universe's King. In the third, he is his Church's High Priest. In the fourth he is fighter against the dragon, the world and the Antichrist. In the fifth God is Judge. In the sixth Jesus is the dragon blaster. The seventh vision paints a picture of the perfection of God's Kingdom in the new Jerusalem. The book ends with the cry: “Even so, come, Lord, Jesus!”

 

[Jae]

Thoughts on Revelation 1:1-3...

John claims for his book divine authorship: Jesus' apocalypse, which God gave him, to show his missionaries what'll happen; and he sent it through his angel to his missionary John. Jesus here revealed the future. He had been told it by God and acted as a prophet in making God's will known.

This message was directed to God's missionaries, and its contents consisted in the relation of events which were bound to happen according to God's will.

Jesus sent his message through an angel. He revealed it to John in visions. In this manner the message was to be brought to others: Who bore witness of God's Word, and of Jesus' testimony, what he saw.

John was the means in spreading the message. His testimony's content was God's Word, the Word which came from God and spoke of God, and Jesus' witness.

In this book John embodied those Gospel truths which he saw. He says, "Blessed's he that reads and they that hear the prophecy and hold to that which's written in it; for the time's near."

Not all the missionaries of those days were able to read, since many of them were slaves. So both he that read this message to others and they that listened to, and heeded, it are called blessed.

For it isn't enough to read and hear the prophecy, God's Word's instruction in salvation. It requires a keeping, an observing, a relying upon its promises in faith.

This attitude is still required since the time's near, we're living in the world's last hour. This is no time for sleeping. Vigilance must characterize the missionaries in distress' last days.

 

[Jae]

Thoughts on Revelation 1:4-8...

The greeting's beautiful, 'John to the seven Asian churches: Grace to you and peace from God, and from the seven Spirits that are before God's throne, and from Jesus.'

John's addressing the seven churches in Asia, the seven stations where God's Word had taken hold, churches whose conditions let us picture the circumstances of Jesus' Church until time's end.

The greeting comprises the Gospel's summary: grace, the love which the shameful have in redemption: peace, which follows the shameful person's reconciliation with God. This is God's blessing.

When Jesus comes for his own's redemption, to sit in judgment upon his enemies, he'll reveal himself as God.

The blessings are also from the seven Spirits before grace's throne, from the Spirit.

The blessings are transmitted through Jesus, a faithful Witness to the Gospel. He conquered death and rose as the First-born from the dead. And now that he's exalted to God's right hand, he's the Prince, Lord and King.

To this Jesus John now addresses a doxology. The love which Jesus had in his heart for his elect's been proven: he loosed them from their shame at his life's cost, by giving his blood as a ransom for them.

Thereby he has brought them into a relationship with him. He has constituted them his kingdom. Their enemies are conquered before them, and they're heaven's heirs. For this they give glory to him alone; that's their sacrifice.

The missionary now takes up the thought which was interrupted by the doxology, 'He's coming on the clouds, and all will see him, even those that pierced him, and the earth will howl over him.'

The missionary's here carried forward to Judgment Day. Jesus will appear. All the earth's people will see him returning as their Judge.

All that the shameful can do and will do on that day will be to weep because of him, gibbering in terror in anticipation of the fate which they see before them. That's the truth.

Now Jesus is introduced as speaking, "I'm Alpha and Omega, says God, God that is, was and's coming, the Almighty." Alpha and Omega, are names of the beginning and the end, and are used of Jesus and by Jesus who's true God with God from eternity.

Like God, Jesus is from everlasting to everlasting, and he's God. No enemy's too mighty for him, not even Satan's hosts; all's placed under him. That's the missionaries' comfort, the foundation upon which their faith rests.

 

[Jae]

Thoughts on Revelation 1:9-11...

For the third time John mentions his name, "I, John, your brother in the tribulation and in the kingdom and in the patience in Jesus, found myself on Patmos on account of God's Word and Jesus' testimony."

John knows nothing of aspirations: he doesn't mention his office. It's with satisfaction that he calls himself the missionaries' brother.

John and all missionaries partake in Jesus' kingdom, at once the miserable and the blessed. So they share also in Jesus' patience, for tribulation works patience. Thus they're enabled to persevere, to be steadfast in the midst of misery, distress and afflictions.

It wasn't as a criminal that John was suffering the punishment of crime. He was on Patmos for the sake of God's Word: because of his testimony of Jesus, whom he confessed. It was a martyrdom which John suffered in his exile.

John now describes how he first received Jesus' revelation, 'I found myself in the spirit on Sunday, and I heard behind me a trumpet, 'Write what you see, and send it to the seven churches.'' This revelation was given to John, while he doing his Sunday devotions.

The book makes the impression that it belongs to Sunday; there's something of a holiday, something festive about it. John found himself in the spirit, in that ecstasy which detached the mind from the body, as it attended revelation.

While he was in this state, it seemed to him that a trumpet's sound came from behind him, the voice in the sound commissioning him to put the description of the visions which he'd see down on paper and send the book to Asia's seven churches.

Ephesus was this district's city, in Lydia. Smyrna was 40 miles north of Ephesus. Pergamos was 60 miles northeast of Smyrna. Thyatira was a city in Lydia. Sardis was 30 miles south of Thyatira. Philadelphia was 25 miles southeast of Sardis. Laodicea was 50 miles from Philadelphia.

☆The names' order's that of a circuit, such as one would make in starting from Ephesus and traveling clockwise.☆

 

[Jae]

Thoughts on Revelation 1:12-16...

John records what impression the voice made upon him. Compelled by the power from above, John turned around to see whose was the voice that spoke to him. The expression's given in an odd form, to concentrate the attention upon the voice, Jesus' word.

John describes what he saw, "And having turned around, I saw lamp-stands, and in the lamp-stands' midst one similar to Jesus clothed in a robe and girded across his breast with a belt."

The prophet saw lampstands. The Jewish Church's time was past, and so its symbol was no longer in use. Lamps, symbolizing churches, are spoken of, since the Church's reflected in them.

In the lampstands' midst was Jesus. The churches are inseparable from Jesus, who lives and moves among his temple's cressets with a high priest's dignity.

This is marked by the robe reaching to the feet, which was honour's mark in Asia, as well as by the girdle about the breast, which showed the garment to the best advantage and added to the wearer's prestige.

☆ Jesus is described as being similar to a man. With his human nature is combined his Godhead's majesty, which elevates him far above a human being. ☆

He's both High Priest and King.

The description continues, "His head and hair were wool, and his eyes were a fire's flame, and his feet were bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was waters' voice."

Just as in the OT prophecy God's pictured with white hair, so Jesus here, by the same token, is shown to be God.

The eyes flaming fire signify the combination of zeal and of omniscience in one whose essence abhors shame and impurity.

The word which's translated “brass” designates a metals' alloy which was our bronze. His feet were this metal as it glowed and melted in the furnace's heat.

Where He goes, he spreads terror in the ways of those that have rejected him; he's a fire to the shameful.

His voice was waters' rushing, which threatens the Church's enemies and hinders them in their designs against God's saints.

The apostle writes, "And holding stars, and a sword projecting out of his mouth, and his appearance as the sun shines in his strength. The stars are the churches' pastors. These he holds, to show that they're his, that he holds them by his power.

The sword going forth from Jesus' mouth's his Word, his mouth's breath, powerful to overcome the godless and adversaries.

His appearance, the impression which John received from the vision, was that of a form surrounded with sunlight's rays, emanating a splendor greater than that of the sun at midday, penetrating through fog and clouds.

The shameful shrink, shrivel and wither before his gaze's power.

 

[Luce NDs]

A common man as Jahn in the desert would learn of the exclusiveness of power a sean to behold as apocalyptic stroke of cognizance of gnome*tics in arid space ... purely something in psyche realms ... often unthought of by the mindless ... no soul as Satchmo would declare ... abstract blues?

Does instill a sense of chasm and separation ... bridge over disturbed waters? Eris in late E in the dipper ... wry Uri ... greater waters and lesser ... Medusa's revenge ... unrequited love for what was revealed from the psyche pool? Where reason and irrational rants collide ... means!

Tis paradigmatic ... dark bumps ...

 

[Jae]

Thoughts on Revelation 1:17-20...

The vision's effect upon John, "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet dead, and he laid his hand upon me, saying, 'Fear not. I'm the First and the Last and the One; and I was dead, and, lo. I'm alive forever and ever, and have hell's keys."

There's comfort in Jesus' appearance in this vision, since it's impossible for his foes to stand in his sight. For that reason Jesus laid his hand upon John with consolation. The “Fear not” was to calm his heart and to fill him with trust.

What's true of God's true also of Jesus. They that trust in him will live; and they that live in him won't ever die.

Jesus' cry on the cross, with which he commended his spirit into God's hands, was victory's cry. By his victory over hell Jesus is the One from eternity to eternity, also according to his human nature.

And he has hell's keys, power to save and to condemn. Those who are given faith will receive at his hands life with all the bliss that this implies; those who he passes over will receive death's sentence.

Power's in Jesus. With authority, he says, "Write what you saw, and what is and what's going to happen after this, the stars' mystery which thou saw on my hand, and the lampstands." The visions John was to write in a book.

Jesus wanted to explain to John what He meant by the stars, and by the lampstands; He had a message for His missionaries at that time and for subsequent ages.

He explains, "The stars are the churches' pastors, and the lampstands are the churches. The pastors are called stars on account of their sharing the heavenly doctrine. The churches are lampstands, through the Gospel, their light."

This light should shine forth from missionaries as well as from the churches, both in missional confession and conduct, these two being the glory of the Church on earth.

 

[Carolla]

So is this a paper you wrote for school?

 

[paradox3]

So is this a paper you wrote for school?

The topic starter has taken his leave from WC2 for the time being, Carolla. He announced it on the last post thread and said he might be back in the future. No indication of when.

 

[Carolla]

Thanks P3 ... the journey continues!!

 

[Jae]

So is this a paper you wrote for school?

No, it isn't Carolla. I wrote much better for school.

 

[Jae]

Thoughts on Revelation 2:1-7...

Revelation's pastoral letters all have the same outline: the command to write, the letter's body, an admonition to repentance or steadfastness, a prophecy and a promise to the missionaries.

The Ephesian church had been founded by Paul, who worked there for 3 years. Afterwards, Timothy was active in the Ephesian church. After Paul's and Timothy's deaths, John had resided at Ephesus.

Jesus dictated, "To the Ephesian church's angel write, 'These things says he that holds the stars, that walks amid the lampstands.'" The letter's addressed to the church's pastor.

It's Jesus that's speaking. He that holds the churches' pastors in his hand, he that walks about among the lampstands.

He's willing to help churches. Jesus' commendation, "'I know you, and that you can't stand evil men, and have found to be liars those that aren't true missionaries, and endure and bear up for my name’s sake.'"

Jesus knew faith's works that were performed amid the Ephesian church, the labor done by loving missionaries, the patience toward the weak within and the perils from without.

There was also vigilance in the Ephesian church, a zeal far the truth which wouldn't allow evil members. People that falsely claimed to be missionaries and to be new revelations' bearers were tested and exposed.

Ephesian missionaries were noted for the fact that they persevered amid afflictions, taking up their cross and following after Jesus without complaint. They showed missional patience.

The disgrace heaped upon them wasn't able to take away their faith's courage. For the sake of Christ, they stayed faithful; they didn't grow faint.

☆ Missional conduct, faithfulness in Jesus' service, discipline, adherence to pure doctrine, patience and perseverance amid enmity: these should be signs of missional churches. ☆

A rebuke and a warning, "'But I have against you that you've left the first love.'"

The Ephesian church had left the first fire for the Gospel, for Jesus' honor which had been prominent in the church's start. They were no longer filled with the joy of the missionary's first encounter of God.

It was the experience which has been undergone innumerable times since where churches have been established for generations.

Jesus, therefore, calls out, "If you don't repent, and do the first works, I'm coming to you, and I'll remove your lampstand from its place."

The Ephesian church should've kept the first love and grown stronger in loving Jesus. It had fallen from this, so repentance was needed. If they didn't repent, then Jesus would remove his Gospel from them.

That has been indifference's result in many cases; and this warning's rendered none the less severe by the added condition that repentance's needed where the first love's leaving the churches.

Simultaneously, Jesus praises the Ephesian church, "'This you have, that you hate the Nicolaitans' works, which I also hate.'" The Nicolaitans were a sect whose members turned missional liberty into license, practicing religious sensuality.

The hatred which the Ephesian church as such showed for these libertines' ways proved that the world's ways hadn't yet gained the upper hand in their midst. In this they had Jesus' approval.

Jesus' promise, '"He that has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: To him that conquers I'll grant to eat of life's tree, which is in God's paradise.'"

Here's an appeal for attention, addressed to missionaries everywhere and at all times. Everyone should yield their ears in mind and heart's application to Jesus' promise. It is the Spirit that's speaking.

To everyone that conquers the enemies and perils that obstruct their path in this life, to everyone who through faith passes successfully through temptations, Jesus will grant to eat of the fruit of life's tree.

Missionaries look forward to paradise, in God's presence, in which they'll have joy at God's right hand forevermore. Jesus' relation to God guarantees his promise of such privilege, for Jesus' gift is God's gift.

 

[Luce NDs]

Apocalypse is a pseudonym to revelation that means awakening or sudden awareness in a flash!

Isn't that something for souls that claim bliss is ignorance? Thus the uncon-science dimension to be experienced of all things beyond us as the word "hors" indicates! Google it just for a giggle ...

If one believes not in myths and metaphors one wouldn't grasp the go round in a hard straight line life ...

One may have mist the circular route ... and idea that things can come back while entranced ... or having aspirations that people needn't be so brutish in their instants of fixation!

 

[Jae]

Thoughts on Revelation 2:8-11...

In Smyrna's case it was enmity from without that caused the pastoral letter to be written.

The introduction, "To the church in Smyrna's angel write, 'This says the First and the Last, who was dead and became alive.'" The message was to be given to the church by its pastor, who's here addressed as the officer.

Jesus again calls himself the First, having been from eternity, and the Last, since he's God. He didn't stay dead; he became alive, he restored himself. Thus he's life in those that trust him; by faith in him they can scoff at death.

Jesus encourages the Smyrnean missionaries, "'I know your tribulation and poverty (but you're rich), and the blasphemy on the part of those that claim to be Jews and are not, rather Satan's synagogue.'"

The church at Smyrna had to bear the Jews' enmity. This opposition on the Jews' part didn't stop with meanness' acts and with slandering: it was also due to their machinations that the missionaries lost their goods, money and property.

The missionaries were robbed of their possessions; they endured the confiscation of what their work had brought them. And yet, as Jesus tells them, they were rich, for they had his grace, love and Gospel.

God's judgment designates missionaries' enemies as Satan's synagogue, for Satan is the liar from the beginning, and in his school the blasphemers are trained.

More encouragement's spoken, "'Fear nothing you're destined to suffer.'" Jesus implies that further persecutions are imminent, and history shows that the next decades brought trials to the missionaries in this part of Asia Minor.

And yet the Lord tells them to fear nothing. Without his will not a hair of their head could he harmed. They should be filled with faith, which rests secure in God's hands, no matter what life's vicissitudes may be.

This in spite of their being told, "Satan will jail some of you, and you'll have tribulation 10 days.'" The statement that this test would be for 10 days shows that Jesus his be tried beyond that which they're able to endure.

So he calls out to them, "Be faithful to death, and I'll give you life's crown."

The persecutions that were designed to make the missionaries give up their faith served to strengthen them. The gold remains in the assayer's furnace.

Thus the missionaries' faith's proved in persecutions; for it's at such times that he has a chance to prove his faithfulness to Jesus. Nor will Jesus let this faithfulness go unrewarded. Life's grace's reward assigned to faith.

This thought's repeated in a second promise, "'He that conquers won't suffer injury from the second death.'"

The Spirit says this to all churches and missionaries. They that confess Christ to the end, clinging to him in true faith, will pass through death into life. Death will be to them an entrance into joy's homes.

 

[JRT]

Earl Doherty wrote --- "Despite the apologetic efforts of those seeking to rehabilitate this document for the modern mind, it is difficult to see Revelation as anything more than a paroxysm of hate created by a mind bordering on the psychotic. The early church long resisted placing it in the developing canon of inspired writings. John the prophet has cast his spiritual Christ in his own joyless and vengeful image. The voice of this Messiah is his own, ready to punish for every slight, every rejection the prophet has suffered in his missionary work."

I am convinced that Revelation has no real worth to the average Christian and is of interest only to scholars.

 

[Northwind]

I am convinced that Revelation has no real worth to the average Christian and is of interest only to scholars.

I'm late to this thread and have only skimmed it. I'm inclined to agree with this.

 

[Jae]

Earl Doherty wrote --- "Despite the apologetic efforts of those seeking to rehabilitate this document for the modern mind, it is difficult to see Revelation as anything more than a paroxysm of hate created by a mind bordering on the psychotic. The early church long resisted placing it in the developing canon of inspired writings. John the prophet has cast his spiritual Christ in his own joyless and vengeful image. The voice of this Messiah is his own, ready to punish for every slight, every rejection the prophet has suffered in his missionary work."

I am convinced that Revelation has no real worth to the average Christian and is of interest only to scholars.

Earl who?

 

[Redbaron]

What? You have no Google?

 

[Jae]

What? You have no Google?

Here's the fun part - no one asked you.

 

[Redbaron]

No, but I AM asking YOU.
Do you do any of your own finding of answers or seeking of truth?